What drives the post-adoption use of educational technologies in higher education? An exploratory systematic review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37711/Keywords:
educational technology, higher education, systematic review, sustained uise, technology integration , intention of continuity, post-adoption use, exploratory systematic reviewAbstract
Although considerable attention has been paid to investigating the initial acceptance and adoption of educational technologies in higher education by teachers, it is much less certain whether these technologies become a sustained part of teaching practice. In an attempt to address such a gap, this exploratory systematic review examined the factors associated with post-adoption use of educational technology among university faculty, distinguishing between intention to continue use, implementation, and discontinuation, whether reported as continuous or deep. This article searched the ERIC, OpenAlex, and Crossref databases for peer-reviewed empirical studies in English published between 2015 and 2026. The search resulted in fifty-five comprehensive reports for evaluation, of which only twenty met the inclusion criteria. Given the diversity of technologies, outcomes, and methods, the findings were synthesized narratively. Four recurring domains emerged: pedagogical value and task-technology fit; system satisfaction, confirmation, and quality; teacher competence, autonomy, and affection; and institutional and social factors. Use or intention after adoption was associated with perceived pedagogical value, system quality, competence, autonomy, institutional support, time, recognition, and student engagement. Barriers included technostress, privacy concerns, inadequate infrastructure, maladaptation, and mandatory use. As the evidence base was largely dominated by cross-sectional self-report studies on continuity intention, conclusions about sustained behavior should be interpreted with caution.
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